Crisis in Shiromani Akali Dal deepens, dissidents submit apology letter to Akal Takht

Tribune News Service

GS Paul

Amritsar, July 1

Dejected by the alleged “autocracy” in the Shiromani Akali Dal, a group of dissident Akali leaders today approached Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh with their written “admission of mistakes” and sought atonement for being part of the SAD regime during its two terms between 2007 and 2017.

In the letter, they mentioned four major “mistakes” that led to the party’s debacle, politically and religiously. The Jathedar accepted the letter, but reserved his verdict. Later, the leaders, including Prem Singh Chandumajra, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Karnail Singh Panjauli and Manjit Singh, stood in front of Akal Takht and performed “ardas” for penance.

Paid ‘courtesy visit’ to Amritpal’s place

• Before visiting Akal Takht, SAD dissidents visited Jallupur Khera, native village of pro-Khalistan leader and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is in jail
• Akali leader Chandumajra said the visit was apolitical. “It was just a courtesy visit,” he said; the Jathedar accepted the apology letter, but reserved his verdict

Before visiting Akal Takht, some of them also visited Jallupur Khera, the native village of self-styled pro-Khalistan leader and newly elected MP from Khadoor Sahib Amritpal Singh, who is in the Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act.

Amritpal’s mother Balwinder Kaur said four Akali leaders, including Chandumajra and Wadala, had come to congratulate them on Amritpal’s election as an MP.

Chandumajra said the visit to Amritpal’s place was apolitical. “It was just a courtesy visit,” he said. He said at Akal Takht, they sought penance for the “mistakes” committed during the SAD regime. “We also sought ‘chardikala’ (wellbeing) and the revival of the lost glory of the SAD that has come from ‘arsh to farsh’ (from top to bottom),” he said.

In December 2023, during the 103rd foundation day of the SAD, Sukhbir had apologised at Shaheed Baba Gurbaksh Singh Ji Gurdwara located on the premises of Akal Takht. Owning the responsibility for his party’s failure to arrest the perpetrators of sacrilege during its regime, he had stated that due to “pressure”, the SAD government was forced to refer the matter to the CBI, which too remained inconclusive.

Former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur clarified that the Sikh “rehat maryada” (tenets) demands that the request for forgiveness has to be submitted before Akal Takht only.

“We followed proper Sikh maryada, submitted an apology letter to the Akal Takht Jathedar. Now, it is up to him to take a call. He will decide whether to give us forgiveness or impose tankha (religious punishment),” she said. She said they were compelled to approach Akal Takht after their objections over “controversial moves” did not go down well with the SAD leadership.

“We had requested the senior leadership numerous times to seek penance at Akal Takht but it was not ready to bend. It resulted in inviting the ire of the ‘quom’ (Sikh community),” she said.

In the joint letter, the rebels specifically held Sukhbir responsible for the inappropriate decisions.

They mentioned the exoneration of Sirsa dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the case of his “blasphemous bid to impersonate” Guru Gobind Singh in 2007 and the SGPC’s move to justify the pardon by releasing media advertisements worth Rs 90 lakh from Guru’s “golak”.

They also referred to a series of 2015 sacrilege incidents at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargarhi in Faridkot and the firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan that claimed two innocent lives. They said these cases could not be pursued properly. They said a tainted IPS officer, who was infamous for fake encounters of Sikh youth, was elevated to the top post of the state police. Besides, “justice was never delivered” to victims in fake encounter cases.

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